Jude Law to Discuss Home Plans With Neighbors

Jude's spokesman confirms the 'Sherlock Holmes' star will have a meeting with his neighbors about plans to build a basement extension and gym at his home after he returns from Cannes.

Jude Law is preparing to meet with his neighbors in London when he returns from the Cannes Film Festival in France to alleviate their fears about his home renovation plans. The "Sherlock Holmes" star has submitted a planning application to Camden Council in a bid to gain permission for a basement extension and gym at his home in the city's upmarket Highgate area.

However, his plans have been met with outrage from locals, while heads of the Highgate Society want to stop the building work as they are convinced it could affect water flow in the area, which is near to Hampstead Heath park.

Michael Hammerson, secretary of the group, tells Britain's Telegraph newspaper, "We have the same reservations about this development as we do about all the other basement excavations around Hampstead and Highgate, the accumulation of which is going to be very damaging. There's a complex network of underground water systems in this area and these sort of basements could divert them. It's going to have a major cumulative effect on the way water drains to the Heath."

"The area Mr Law will be digging will have fairly significant archaeological implications for the local area, some of those houses date from the early 18th century and there may well be valuable archaeological information from that period or even earlier dates. It is important that we preserve that history. There is, of course, an open invitation to Mr Law to come and talk to the society about our concerns."

Law has accepted the invite to discuss his plans with locals, according to his spokesman, who tells the publication, "Jude and his architect will be having a meeting with the Highgate Society to discuss the plans with them on his return from Cannes Film Festival to show them they have no need to have concerns. They [the Highgate Society] just want to be in consultation with the process."